Government spying on its citizens isn't limited just to NSA spying on oversea phone calls of suspected terrorists. The Patriot Act considerably expanded the definition of "terrorist" to include suspected everyday crimes not related to terrorism. Despite the hype, there are no checks and balances.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

FBI Apples and Oranges

I left a message yesterday morning on the FBI FOIPA Public Liaison (PLO) Officer answering machine inquiring as to the status of my Jan. 5, 2008 FOIPA Request and my Feb. 16, 2008 FOI Appeal. DC FBI HQ still hasn’t replied to this FOIPA Request or FOI Appeal. I called the FBI PLO after the FBI FOIPA Public Information Officer (PIO) failed to reply to earlier messages regarding this request. When I returned home yesterday afternoon, the FBI had left a message on the answering machine. The FBI employee said that she’s looking at my request right now- but didn't give the date of my request- and that the FBI sent a 'no records'response on March 25, 2008. She said that the FBI searched their Jacksonville FBI Field Office and they didn’t find anything. My FOIPA Request sought DC records. She identified my street address and said that if it’s incorrect to call her. She said that she’s not even a supervisor or the person that handles it, but she’s going to return my call anyway. She said that she's remailing the no records letter now. My request was for FBI DC HQ records and not Jacksonville. Two separate requests which are easy enough to distinguish as apples and oranges.

In my Jan. 5, 2008 FOIAP Request, which is the issue, I requested a copy of my Dec. 11, 2007 letter to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, charging violations of my civil rights and official police misconduct by the FDLE, Holmes County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Florida Electric Cooperative Association. I included a VHS videotape, which proves my charges, and some other evidence. I also requested all the associated records, such as the case file, logs, activity/time sheets, processing records, etc. I filed two separate requests for records with the FBI. One was for the records associated with my complaint to the Jacksonville FBI Special Agent in Charge and the later was with FBI Director Mueller.

Although the USPS verified delivery of all my letters to the FBI Jacksonville Field Office and FBI employees signed for my letters, the FBI Jacksonville Field Office denied receiving anything. The Jacksonville FBI Field Office FOIA Manager told me that he doesn’t understand what’s going on, knows nothing, and that FBI HQ will handle it.

I filed two separate complaints charging 4th Amendment violations and two separate and distinct FOIPA Requests with the FBI. One with FBI DC HQ and one with the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. Apples and Oranges. The USPS verified delivery of all my letters, as well as the FBI employees that signed for them. Both complaints and requests are different. For example, I didn’t include the VHS videotape in my complaint to the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. However, I did provide FBI Director Mueller with a copy, along with some other stuff.